Those who may consider Iola a dead town, or one where no one ever does anything, should have been at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting. Council members themselves didn’t do a whole lot. Instead, the focus was on a series of civic groups and individuals who approached the podium.
One after one, they informed the Council of plans, asked for support, and in their sum, gave testimony to the power of an active community.
In short,
• Two new board members, Courtney French and Ashley Omack, were confirmed to the board of Iola Public Library.
• The Iola Sisters Allen County Relay for Life team was approved to hold their annual “boot block” downtown on May 23.
• The SEK Multi-County Health Department will hold a community baby shower at the Dr. John Silas Bass North Community Center on May 26.
• The Allen County Farmers Market will once again hold their Thursday markets on Jefferson Street.
That was all handled in the first five minutes.
Then, a series of community advocates approached the podium, joining Mayor Steve French, who read a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Hope Unlimited’s Donita Garner and Kayla Knavel, Aimee Daniels and Marie Parker of CASA of the 31st District, and Alisha Turner of the Kansas Children’s Service League posed for a photo with council members.
A memorandum of understanding between Allen Community College and the City was unanimously approved by a vote of 6-0. (Council members Max Grundy and Jon Wells were absent.)
The document allows Allen to use the Riverside Park parking lots for its nascent CDL program, a temporary measure while Allen pursues its own facilities.
Sonia Gugnani, the college’s grants administrator, is applying for an Economic Development Administration (EDA) construction grant that would build a campus facility that would house diesel technology and commercial driver’s license (CDL) programs.
Continuing on the evening’s theme, a $1,000 funding request by Allen County GROW Food & Farm Council was approved. The money will fund half of a stipend for a benefit coordinator at the Allen County Farmers Market.
The position is needed to facilitate the SNAP and Double Up Food Buck programs.
Debbie Bearden and Marilyn Logan, both members of the food and farm council, asked the Council to consider incorporating the contribution to its annual budget, which City Administrator Matt Rehder agreed to consider.
Logan also asked the Council to volunteer a member to serve as a celebrity judge during an upcoming food festival on May 2.
